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On behalf of the Men's Progressive Club of Gainesville, I would like to add our endorsement in favor of continuing the one-penny sales tax.
Our organization, whose roots date back to the 1950s, is focused on what is best for the children of our Gainesville and Hall County community. For the most part, we work quietly behind the scenes to help children by serving as mentors or providing items like bicycles for those who are most needy. But on this issue, we felt the need to speak up for these children.
The greatest gift that our community can provide any child is the gift of education because it will serve them the rest of their lives. That is the most important thing to remember in this special referendum Tuesday.
There have been some who say we should vote against this sales tax to punish Buford's children because they would receive a greater proportionate share of the funding. Our response is that this is a political issue that is already being addressed at the state level. In the meantime, let's not punish our own children for the sake of political one-upmanship.
Finally, from a financial standpoint, we would stress the fairness of this sales tax because it is shared by everyone, not just property owners. In addition, more than one-third of the education sales tax is paid for by visitors and shoppers outside Gainesville and Hall County.
Please consider our views and most importantly the best interests of our children as you cast your ballot Tuesday. We hope you will join us in voting "yes" for the good of our community.
James Wills
Men's Progressive Club of Gainesville